Exercising device



y 7, 1938. H. F. HELLER 2,111,957

EXERCISING DEYICE Filed March 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MIT/7514.5

y 1933- H. F. HELLER 2,117,957

.EXERCISING DEVICE I Filed March 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EXERCISING DEVICE Application March 5, 1937, Serial No. 129,269

12 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in exercising devices of the tread-mill type, the object being to provide an exercising device which is exceedingly simple and cheap in construction and one which can be folded so as to occupy a very small space whereby it can be kept under the bed or in a very small space so that one can take the proper exercise by having the device of such a construction that it can be readily set up to be used or folded to be stored. 7 Another object of my invention is to provide an exercising device in which an endless belt of canvas or other suitable material travels over a flat surface, which is adjustably mounted to increase or decrease the inclination of the same so as to increase or decrease the exertion in using the same.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an exercising device with means for adjusting the tension of the belt so as to increase or decrease the friction and to maintain the belt in its proper position at all times.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exercising device constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical section on Figurel;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section showing the same folded in dotted lines;

Figure 4 is a detail top plan view of one end of the exercising device in folded position.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of exercising device; i

Figure 6 is a detail section of the same;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of another modification of the exercising device showing it in position to be used; and

Figure 8 is an elevation, partly broken away,

, showing the same folded for storage or shipment.

In the embodiment of my invention as herein shown I employ a base frame I preferably oblong in shape which has pivotally mounted at one end a frame 2 composed of side bars connected together at each end by rungs 3 and 4, the ends.

of the rungs 3 extending through openings 5 in the base frame in order to form a pivotal connection between the frames I and 2.

The rung 4 forms a handle which is adapted to The side bars of the base frame I are provided with grooves 6 on their inner faces having offset portions or notches l. Slidably mounted in the guideway formed by the grooves 6 are the outwardly projecting ends 8 of a rod 9 which is carried by the lower end of a board Ill, the upper end of which carries a rod l l, the outwardly projecting ends of which are adapted to cooperate with notches i2 formed in the inner faces of. the side bars of the frame 2 whereby the inclination of the board It can be increased or decreased by shifting the rod 9 into the spaced notches l2 and as the board is raised and lowered, the outwardly projecting ends 8 of the rod 9 drop into the notches 'l of the grooves 6 so as to form a rigid support.

The board is provided with guide flanges l3 and arranged around the board or support Ill is an endless belt M which is formed of canvas or any other suitable material so as to exert friction when the same is walked on. A suitable belt tightener I5 is arranged under the support In, the position of which is adjusted by a wedge l6 operated by a screw I! as clearly shown in Figure 3.

The side bars of. the frame 2 are provided with notches l8 adapted to embrace the outwardly projecting ends 8 of the rods 9 when the frame 2 is folded within the base frame I as shown in Figure 3.

In the specification I have used the term board or support to designate the runway for the endless belt as this board supports the belt which lies flatly thereon so that when a, person desires to use the exercising device, he steps on the endless belt and grasps rung 4 which forms a handle and by walking on the belt, the belt moves from under the user so that he will get the proper exercise and by adjusting the inclination of the support, the exercise can be increased or decreased to suit the user.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided an exercising device of the tread-mill type having an adjustable support slidably mounted within the base and provided with means at one end for adjusting the inclination of the same so as to support the belt in a rigid manner when the device is set up to be used and after it has been used, it can be readily folded.

The support for the endless belt is slidably mounted within the base frame at one end and is detachably supported in the supporting frame at its other end so that when the end is adjusted within the supporting frame, the outwardly projecting ends of the rod which travel in the grooves will drop into the different notches so that the supporting frame by the support will be held in a vertical position in a rigid manner and when it is desired to fold the device, it is only necessary to detach the end from the supporting frame and shove it lengthwise so that the ends of the rod 8 will drop into the offset portions at the forward ends of the grooves 6 and the supporting frame can then be folded down around the support carrying the belt and the notches I8 will embrace the rods 9 as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4.

In the embodiment of my invention as shown in Figure 5, I employ a base frame provided with vertically disposed grooves 21 adjacent one end in which a supporting frame 22 is pivotally and slidably mounted by providing the rung 23 with extensions at its ends which slide in the grooves 2| and are also pivotally mounted therein so that the frame can be folded in a similar manner disclosed in the preferred embodiment of my invention or can be removed therefrom.

The base frame is provided with grooves 24 in which the projections of a support 25 are slidably mounted, said support being provided with projections 26 at its upper end which are adapted to be placed in the superposed notches 21 in I order to give the proper inclination to the supis provided at its other end with casters 35.

port 25.

The supportZS carries an endless belt 28 which is adapted to travel over the support in a similar manner to the preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the modification shown in Figures '7 and 8 I employ a base 30 in which is secured a supporting frame 3| which is provided with notches 32 to receive the projections 33 of a support 34 which The support 34 carries an endless belt 36 which operates in substantially the same manner as disclosed in the other embodiments of my invention and is provided with the necessary means for creating the desired resistance to the movement of the belt over the support to increase or decrease the resistance to the movement thereof. The device can be placed in position as shown in Figure 8 for shipping or storage.

In all of the embodiments of my invention I employ a base with a supportingframe having notches to receive projections carried by a support over which travels an endless belt and by shifting the position of the support within the notches of the supporting frame, the inclination of the support and endless belt can be changed.

What I claim is:

'1. An exercising device of the kind described comprising a base frame, a supporting frame pivotally mounted on said base frame, a support slidably mounted in said base frame and adjustably mounted within said supporting frame and an endless belt arranged around said support.

2. An exercising device of the kind described comprising a base frame, a supporting frame pivotally mounted on said base frame, a support slidably mounted in said base frame and adjustably mounted within said supporting frame, an endless belt arranged around said support and a belt tightener for adjusting the tension of said belt. 7

'3. An exercising device of the kind described comprising a base frame carrying a pivoted supporting frame capable of being folded within the supporting frame, said supporting frame being capable of being swung from within the base frame into a vertical position, a support slidably mounted within the base frame at one end and means for adjustably supporting the support within the supporting frame at its other end.

4. An exercising device of the kind described comprising a rectangular base frame having grooves in its side bars provided with offset notches, a supporting frame pivotally mounted within the base frame provided with notches, a support carrying a belt having rods at its ends, the outwardly projecting ends of one rod being slidably mounted within the grooves of said base frame and the outwardly projecting ends of the other rod being adjustably mounted within the notches of the supporting frame.

5. In an exercising device of the kind described, the combination with a base frame, of a supporting frame pivotally mounted therein, of a support slidably mounted within said base frame at one end and adjustably mounted within the supporting frame at its other end and an endless belt arranged around said support.

6. In an exercising device of the kind described, the combination with a base frame, of a supporting frame pivotally mounted therein, of a support slidably mounted within said base frame at one end and adjustably mounted within the supporting frame at its other end, an endless belt arranged around said support and a belt tightener for adjusting the tension of said belt.

'7 A collapsible exercising device of the kind described comprising a base frame, having a supporting frame pivotally mounted therein and capable of being folded within the base frame, a support having guide flanges slidably mounted with-in the base frame at one end and means at the other end of said support for adjustably supporting the same within the supporting frame and an endless belt arranged around said support.

8. An exercising device of the kind described comprising a base frame, .a supporting frame pivotally and-slidably mounted in said base frame, a support slidably mounted inv said base frame and adjustably'mounted within said supporting frame and an endless belt arranged around said support.

9. An exercising device of the kind described comprising a base frame having grooves in its side bars, a supporting frame pivotally mounted endless belt arranged over said support.

11. An exercising device of the kind described comprising a base, a vertically disposed supporting frame carried by said base provided with notches, a support provided with projections seated in said notches and capable of being folded within the supporting frame, said support being capable of swinging outwardly therefrom and an endless belt arranged over said support.

12. An exercising device of the kind described comprising a supporting frame having notches, a

support provided with projections cooperating with said notches for changing the inclination of said support, said support being capable of folding within said supporting frame and an endless belt arranged over said support.

' HAYES FRANCIS HELLER. 

